


flowers bloom in your midst

by miiniwa



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, youkai AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 12:35:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11013564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miiniwa/pseuds/miiniwa
Summary: Somehow, Mao had eventually decided to accept the fact that he had started to be followed — possibly haunted — by the extremely mysterious, and equally lazy, spirit named Ritsu.





	flowers bloom in your midst

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY, so, i hardly ever do aus (or anything past 3k+ words), but i've literally been in such a natsume yuujinchou fix with the sixth season and all, and i thought that it would be fun to try writing a ritsumao youkai spirit au?? i've done cheesy stuff before, but nothing of THIS caliber, so yes, you have been warned.

"Ritsu."

 

"Hey, _Ritsu_."

 

"...I know you're awake. Stop ignoring me."

 

Ritsu sighs, brows furrowing as he stubbornly turns over towards the other side, doing his best to shake off the person currently right next to him, grip tightening on the blanket when he can feel it being pulled away.

 

"You slept the entire day yesterday. You can at least go to school with me today," Mao tells him, blanket finally peeled away from Ritsu, who honestly hadn't put up that much of an effort.

 

"There's nothing for me to do there," Ritsu points out, slowly sitting up.

 

"There's nothing for you to do here either," Mao retaliates, grabbing onto the school uniform hanging from the railing of his bed.

 

"We can go get meat buns after school," Mao adds, smiling when he notices the slight shine in Ritsu's eyes.

 

"Or, you could go to school by yourself and bring some home," Ritsu suggests after a short pause, and Mao rolls his eyes, thinking that it's a typical thing for him to say.

 

"It's supposed to be your reward for going with me, so hurry up or else we're not buying anything on the way home," he tells him, ruffling his hair out of habit before he begins changing.

 

"I'll disappear if I don't eat any meat buns today, Maa-kun," Ritsu drawls, despite slowly crawling off the bed.

 

"I thought spirits didn't _need_ to eat," Mao says, brow doubtfully raised, sighing at Ritsu's lack of response.

 

"And don't talk about disappearing," he mutters, carefully staring at him, before he turns away and starts buttoning his school uniform shirt.

 

On some mornings, Mao vaguely wonders why he's able to see Ritsu, and why no one else isn't. It had happened suddenly, and without much of a warning, and just as quickly as Ritsu had appeared, Mao had adjusted to having him there.

 

However, most mornings, Mao doesn't dwell on those thoughts at all, and simply takes it as a part of his everyday life, as if having a spirit following him around could be considered a norm.

 

 

"Alright, Ritsu, let's go to school," Mao tells him, hoisting his bag onto his shoulders before giving his hair one last look in the mirror.

 

"Okay," Ritsu drawls, appearing behind him and poking at the pinned up part of his hair.

 

" _Hey_ ," Mao sighs, brushing his hand away.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

For not much of any reason, Mao has been able to see Ritsu since his last year of middle school. And during the following three years after that, Mao had been quick to notice that only he could see him, once again, for a reason that the two of them could not discern.

 

Somehow, Mao had eventually decided to accept the fact that he had started to be followed — possibly haunted — by the extremely mysterious, and equally lazy, spirit named Ritsu.

 

"I'm a fallen spirit," is the first thing Ritsu had told him, the moment his middle school self had woken up in the morning, and it's an image that Mao will probably be able to remember for the rest of his life.

 

Of course, he had spent that entire morning yelling and trying to convince his parents that something had invaded his room, and then that entire day trying to get Ritsu to go back to wherever he had come from.

 

But Ritsu had spent nearly that whole day by his side, and after days of that same routine, Mao had eventually become used to him.

 

"By the way, what's a fallen spirit?" Mao had asked him, after an entire year of being followed by him, because he had remembered that statement only then.

 

Ritsu had gazed at him wordlessly, contemplating, before finally deciding to answer.

 

"It means I was never able to trust anyone while I was alive," he had said, mostly devoid of emotion, somewhat casual, and Mao had frowned at the sudden heaviness of the subject.

 

"That's why I'm stuck here," Ritsu had told him, with a shrug.

 

On impulse, Mao had nearly asked him how he could return, but had quickly swallowed down the question after certain thoughts had passed, and it had been at that time that he had realized that if Ritsu left, he would probably feel lonely.

 

Back in the present, things are strangely normal between them, and Mao had completely adjusted to having a spirit that only he could see in his daily life, somehow.

 

"Are we taking the train?" Ritsu questions, walking just slightly behind him.

 

"We always take the train whenever we go to school," Mao replies, taking a couple quick glances around him to make sure that no one else is close enough to think that he's talking to himself.

 

"Hey, I've thought about this a little before, but you can probably just fly there on your own, can't you?" Mao questions, genuinely curious.

 

"That would take a lot of energy. Unnecessary energy," Ritsu states, and Mao smiles a little.

 

"For some reason, I kind of saw that coming," he replies.

 

"Anyway, you humans have a pretty weird opinion of spirits. You shouldn't believe everything you see in movies," Ritsu points out, sighing.

 

"Weren't you a human too before?" Mao asks, crossing his arms.

 

"You're not wrong," Ritsu mutters, glancing off to the side.

 

"Do you know how to go back to where you came from?" Mao questions, deciding to play it all casually, even though it's the question he had told himself he wouldn't ask, two years ago.

 

"Hm, well..." Ritsu starts, and Mao tries not to turn his gaze towards him too quickly.

 

"Maa-kun, I got tired all of a sudden, so carry me?" Ritsu says, swiftly and not-so-subtly changing the subject, and already jumping onto Mao's back.

 

"Hey, wait"—

 

Mao stumbles a bit at the sudden weight on his shoulders, before he sighs and stabilizes himself once again, one hand reaching up to lightly tug on a piece of Ritsu's hair.

 

"Don't do things like that," he tells him, voice somewhat soft, because he's realized since long ago that there's probably a reason behind Ritsu constantly dodging that particular subject, and while he doesn't entirely let it get to him, it only makes him wonder about it even more.

 

He frowns, sighing again against the cool, morning air, because in the end, the weight on his shoulder is still there, still existent, and for him, that's all that matters.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

"I couldn't stay awake at all," Subaru whines, as Mao is pushing their desks together for lunch break.

 

"That's not really anything new," Hokuto comments, taking a seat next to him.

 

"I'll just read the textbook later when I get home, and it should be fine," Subaru yawns, briefly stretching out his arms.

 

"You're lucky things work out for you like that. Lend me your notes later, Hidaka-kun?" Makoto requests, a small smile on his face.

 

"Well, there's not much of a choice for me," Hokuto sighs. "We can go photocopy them after school," he continues, with Makoto bowing to him in thanks.

 

"Oh, Sari, did you finish reading that manga from before?" Subaru questions, unwrapping the sandwich that he had bought earlier.

 

"Ah, not yet. Sorry, I'll bring it back once I finish it," Mao tells him, punching the straw into his juice box, eyes glancing warily to his side, where Ritsu is, face comfortably pressed against his shoulder.

 

"Oh, it's fine, I don't need it back any time soon," Subaru shrugs, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

 

"That guy's talkative as usual," Ritsu remarks, persistently poking at Mao's arm, and Mao sighs, holding the juice box slightly above his shoulder so that Ritsu can drink from it without anyone noticing.

 

"Isara," Hokuto says, and Mao instinctively jumps in his spot, slamming the juice box back down onto the table, much to Ritsu's annoyance.

 

"...Sorry, um, was my voice too sharp or something?" Hokuto asks, slightly hesitant, and Mao is well aware of the curious stares of his friends being given to him.

 

"No, my bad, I was just sort of...lost in thought," he replies, placing his head on his desk, slightly embarrassed by it all. "Were you trying to tell me something?" He questions, lifting his gaze upward.

 

"We were just wondering if you wanted to go with us after school to get the photocopies of Hokke's notes done, and get ice cream after," Subaru explains, bright.

 

"Ah, sorry, I have something to do, but I'll definitely go next time," Mao replies, not forgetting about the prior promise he had made with Ritsu that morning, and he holds up a hand in apology.

 

"Oh, okay," Subaru says, sinking back into his seat, and for a second, Mao feels somewhat guilty.

 

He quietly shakes his head, because he had made that promise with Ritsu after all, and he reaches over for the box of juice on his desk.

 

_Empty_ , Mao rolls his eyes, nudging the empty box to the side, before he starts taking the straw out from the other one he had bought.

 

"Oh, yeah, when did you start doing that anyway?" Subaru remarks, tilting his chair back, with Hokuto sighing and putting an arm behind it.

 

"Hm?" Mao raises a brow, before Subaru points over at the cartons of juice next to him.

 

"Buying two boxes of juice. I've never really met anyone who does that every single day," Subaru tells him, laughing a little, and Mao's lips press into a straight line as he avoids eye contact.

 

_Well, that's because_... He internally sighs, staring over at the person who no one else can see, currently seated at an empty chair by the windows, quietly unaware of their conversation.

 

"Sometimes one just isn't enough, you know?" Mao decides to go with, hoping that that will be convincing enough for now.

 

"I guess...maybe I should start buying two cartons of milk from now on," Subaru contemplates, taking a sip out of the said drink.

 

"Ah, but then my allowance..." He sighs, almost leaning back too far into his chair, and Hokuto has to push it forward to keep him from falling back.

 

"Hey, hey, maybe we can ask Anzu to go with us after school too," Makoto suggests, and Subaru lightly glowers at him for suddenly changing the subject.

 

Meanwhile, Ritsu is quietly floating back towards him, and after constantly nudging Mao's arm, Mao sighs and sets his juice box back down on the table, relinquishing the rest its contents to him.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

"I think Nii-chan's dating someone," Mao's younger sister announces at the dinner table, and Mao flinches before becoming a coughing and choking mess.

 

"What...makes you say that?" Mao manages to question, as his parents are staring at him curiously. When he glances over to the side, Ritsu is peacefully humming to himself, and it takes all of his willpower not to tell him to be quiet, lest his family call him insane.

 

Mao's sister looks over towards his parents, a certain glint in her eyes.

 

"Whenever I pass by his room, I can always hear him talking to someone. He might be talking to his girlfriend over the phone, you know? It's like, every single night," she explains, and Mao internally cringes, at a loss for words.

 

"So, Maa-kun's dating someone? Even _I_ didn't know that," Ritsu says, teasingly from the side.

 

"You— quiet, Ricchan," Mao snaps, in a mostly hushed whisper, which unfortunately, his father seems to hear.

 

"Oh, so the person you're dating is named Ricchan?" Mao's father speaks up, and Mao pales at the (slight) misunderstanding.

 

"You should introduce us some time, Mao-kun," his mother adds, a happy expression on her face, and Mao presses his face against the table, muttering incoherent things.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

"Maa-kun, can we eat them now?" Ritsu's voice is slightly whining and ringing in his ears as they're walking along the sidewalk, and Mao moves his arm, firmly clutching onto the bag of donuts that Ritsu had tried to take from him.

 

"I told you, we have to find somewhere where there's no people before we eat these, or else it'll just look like I'm sitting next to a floating donut or something," Mao snaps, suddenly feeling exhausted, and he wonders why he had decided to buy food for Ritsu in the first place.

 

After a couple more minutes of putting up with Ritsu's continuous complaints, Mao finally spots a grassy area with no people in sight, and after a thorough look around, he sits down behind a few bushes.

 

"Here," Mao says, sighing as he hands Ritsu one of the donuts, still taking a few glances around to make sure no one is looking.

 

"Maa-kun's a good human," Ritsu states, and Mao rolls his eyes, deciding not to comment on it.

 

Ten minutes later, after they're both done snacking, Ritsu is sprawled out onto the grass, eyes looking languid and tired.

 

Mao yawns, wondering if he's being affected by Ritsu somehow, before he notices tiny white flowers growing with the grass.

 

"This reminds me of when we first met," Mao says, pointing at the flowers, and Ritsu sits up, brow raised, as if processing his statement.

 

"Ah, yeah. That was when I was in my weakest form, and Maa-kun thought I was a firefly and trapped me in a jar," Ritsu recalls, and Mao flinches, feeling slightly guilty about it all, although when he remembers how he had spotted Ritsu, a small ball of light lying within the blue forget-me-not flowers in his front yard, he knows that to him, he really had looked like a firefly.

 

"And then I woke up the next morning and there was glass all over the floor, and you were sleeping right next to me," Mao sighs, but he can't help but think fondly on the memory.

 

"To think that a noble spirit like me would be trapped in a jar by a human," Ritsu comments, despite not looking annoyed at all.

 

"Yeah, pretty sure I apologized for that before," Mao replies, leaning back a bit against the grass, which he hadn't realized would feel so comfy.

 

He closes his eyes, still able to imagine the gentle glow that Ritsu had given off that day, and how undeniably amazed his middle school self had been by it.

 

"It's weird," Mao remarks suddenly, and Ritsu glances over at him.

 

"What is it, Maa-kun?" He questions, drawing his knees up towards his chin as Mao sits back up.

 

"These days, I think about you a lot," Mao tells him, strikingly honest, and for a few seconds, Ritsu is quiet.

 

"Oh, is it love?" Ritsu finally asks, a teasing smile on his face as he leans forward a bit to look at him.

 

"Probably," Mao replies, unexpectedly, a light pink tinge coloring his cheeks, and if Ritsu had the ability to breathe, his breath would have most likely gotten caught in his throat.

 

"Is that so," Ritsu states, eyes just briefly occupied with the clouds above them.

 

"...Sometimes, with you, I felt kind of human again," Ritsu admits, not quite looking at him as he says it.

 

"Oh, are you confessing too now?" Mao asks, a slight revenge for earlier.

 

"Probably," Ritsu replies, somehow feeling at ease, because it's Mao.

 

"Maa-kun showed me a warmth that I couldn't feel in my past life. That's why, even though you're the only one who can see me, I'm happy," Ritsu explains, a thoughtful look in his gaze, and as the breeze passes through his hair, sweeping his fringe away from his eyes, Mao can't help but think that his existence is something that he wants to continue to treasure.

 

His constant use of past tense is something that slightly bothers him, and Mao stands up, stretching out his arms in attempts to push away unnecessary thoughts.

 

"Let's buy ramen for dinner! I think we both deserve it," Mao declares, quickly picking up his bag and heading by towards the sidewalk, Ritsu not too far behind.

 

"Ah, are you finally embarrassed now, Maa-kun?" Ritsu asks, noticing the cracks in his composure, although to him, he had done a good job of hiding it.

 

"Not really," Mao snaps, trying to sound normal, even though as he's walking on ahead of him, just a few paces in front, Ritsu can clearly see the redness at the back of Mao's ears, and he smiles, deciding not to say anything about it for now.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

"You know, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if you could be friends with Subaru, Hokuto, or Makoto," Mao remarks, as they're walking home from another typical day at school.

 

"Even if Maa-kun's my only friend, that's okay with me," Ritsu shrugs.

 

"Ah, I think I'd be able to be friends with that Anzu person though. She smells good," Ritsu tells him, and Mao raises a brow, suspicious.

 

"You've floated close enough to her to know what she smells like? I guess I have to watch you a bit more closely from now on," Mao tells, rubbing at the back of his head.

 

"It's not like I could do anything to her though," Ritsu says, a slight pout on his face.

 

"Yeah, but I think anyone would be bothered if they knew that a ghost was standing a couple inches away from them, and sniffing them," Mao replies, sighing, because he can't help but blame himself.

 

Ritsu turns his gaze away from him, wordlessly stepping onto the ledge next to them, walking along it.

 

"Careful, Ritsu, you might get hurt"—

 

"Maa-kun, I'm not human, you know. I can't hurt myself," Ritsu quietly reminds him, and there's a slightly dark undertone to his voice, as if he had been reluctant to say it, as if he had been reluctant to remind Mao of the blatant fact that an existence like him shouldn't even be there.

 

Mao catches it, painfully so, and when he blinks, he can feel a light heat around his eyes, for just a split second.

 

He looks over at Ritsu, direct, and vaguely wonders how it's possible for someone so invisible to other people to have such clear eyes, bright and red and almost sparkling.

 

"...Yeah," Mao finally responds, forcing out a couple laughs as he steps back.

 

"Sorry," Mao adds, not sure of what else to say.

 

"I'm not mad," Ritsu tells him, stepping down from the ledge to continue walking next to him, and when he reaches over and holds onto his hand, Mao feels that it's probably meant to be something close to comfort.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Mao guesses that yesterday's words had probably been some sort of premonition, and he doesn't know if it had been intended at all or not.

 

"...Oh," Ritsu states, sitting up and staring at his hands, which had become noticeably transparent.

 

Mao blinks, vision still mostly blurry from having just woken up, before he quickly sits up after him.

 

"Um, Ritsu, what"— He frowns, trying to deduce the situation, because even though he knows part of the answer, he can't bring himself to say anymore.

 

"It looks like my body is materializing back to the spirit world," Ritsu explains calmly, and Mao raises a brow, feeling only more confused, and somewhat afraid.

 

"The spirit world? So you _did_ come from that kind of place," Mao says, although he can't quite dismiss the painful feeling in his chest.

 

"Since I was a 'fallen spirit,' I couldn't stay there. But since I've gained strength from being here, my body's going back on its own," Ritsu continues, somehow looking casual as he holds his semi-transparent hand against the sunlight.

 

"Since I finally gained feelings and trust from someone, I'm not exactly a 'fallen' spirit anymore," he mutters, slightly reluctant, as his eyes meet Mao's.

 

"Wait, so...because I started having feelings for you, you gained strength from that and now you're disappearing?" Mao demands, and Ritsu quickly averts his gaze.

 

"That's part of it. It's also because I started having feelings for Maa-kun too. In short, I've become a 'complete' spirit. My body's decided that there's no reason for me to be here anymore," he tells him.

 

Mao reaches over, taking a hold of his hand, and Ritsu flinches, caught off guard.

 

In all honesty, Mao had realized some time ago that Ritsu would probably disappear sooner or later. Of course, he had had wishes that Ritsu would continue to stay be his side as the years passed, that their time wouldn't be limited, but he knows now that those had likely been immature thoughts.

 

"Maa-kun, none of it's your fault," Ritsu says, as if reading his mind, and Mao glances up, smiling softly as he continues to hold onto his hand.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

He's noticed since a while ago that Ritsu has no actual temperature.

 

On a day where the weather is finally cooler than usual, the two had fallen asleep almost right after coming back from school.

 

Mao had plopped down onto his bed after tossing his school bag onto his chair, with Ritsu quietly falling down next to him, and after a few seconds of watching the fluttering of his curtain in the wind, flowing smoothly like ocean waves, he had slipped into a nap.

 

He had woken up only about an hour later, the curtain still swaying, and vision blurry, when he had turned to the side only to face Ritsu, still peacefully asleep.

 

Unconsciously — and he blames it all on the sleepy after effects of his nap — he had reached out towards him, brushing wisps of dark hair away from his eyes.

 

_The warmth I feel sometimes is probably just my imagination_ , Mao thinks, eyes half closing as the back of his hand lightly touches Ritsu's cheek, neither warm nor cold.

 

_But I think that's okay_ , he heaves out a long sigh, eyes closing again, somehow convinced that it'll let time run slower.

 

He shifts, reluctantly, carefully pulling Ritsu towards him, against his chest.

 

Just as he had expected, even when he hugs him, it's not warm, and there's absolutely no change in temperature, but it's comforting, and still means so much.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

When he wakes up, somehow, he knows that Ritsu won't be there.

 

He opens his eyes, blinking about a dozen times as he dully processes the warm, early morning sunlight on his cheeks.

 

A bright blue color catches his attention, and when he glances over, he spots a small litter of flowers within his hand, the same blue flowers where he had first met Ritsu, after mistaking him for a firefly.

 

_He must've left them there_ , he thinks, and for a second, his throat feels dry.

 

_Ah, crap_ , he lets out a sigh, and it's a slightly quivering breath. He quickly shakes his head, knowing that if Ritsu were still there, he would probably be making fun of him at that moment.

 

Mao closes his eyes again, remembering the soft glow he had seen in front of his house, in the patch of forget-me-not flowers that had overtaken a corner of his yard, and how entranced he had been by it.

 

He recalls that in the middle of the night, when Ritsu had woken up, weak and just barely visible, he had told him that the sound of his heartbeat had always been his favorite, and if memory serves him right, he had thanked him as well, in a tiny, quiet whisper.

 

Mao sits up, eyes cast once again onto the flowers in his hand.

 

"Of course I won't forget you, idiot," he mutters, placing the flowers down on his bed, a small smile on his face.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Before meeting Mao, Ritsu had been reduced to a tiny wandering spirit; a small ball of light that could not be seen by a vast majority of people.

 

As a fallen spirit, he had become weak, and despite knowing that one of the most effective ways to gain energy was to hover close to humans, he had stubbornly decided against it, choosing to be by himself.

 

Because of that, he simply floats around the world, picking peaceful looking spots to take naps, accepting that as his fate until the day he finally runs out of energy and completely disappears.

 

That afternoon in particular, he decides to settle on a large patch of blue flowers, looking somewhat comfy and appropriate for a good sleep.

 

_I wonder if I'll still be able to wake up after this though_ , he thinks to himself, deciding that in the end, he wouldn't really mind completely vanishing in this spot, surrounded by those gentle blue pigments.

 

With that, he dozes off, mind dwelling on nothing in particular as he slips into sleep.

 

Hours later, Mao is coming home late from school, slightly covered in dirt from playing too much soccer with his classmates.

 

The small glow from his front yard catches his eye, and when he walks closer towards it, he can't help but stare at it in awe.

 

He carefully crouches down, mostly afraid that he might scare it away, before he quietly stands up again and disappears into his house, returning a few seconds later with a glass jar in hand.

 

It's still sunny outside, but it's already glowing for some reason, he notices, and he can't help but think that even in the sunlight, it's a pretty glow.

 

Mao gingerly scoops the ball of light into the jar, recalling that he had once seen a group of fireflies in the forest with his friends one summer, and decides that he can probably release it back there tomorrow.

 

Mao smiles to himself, staring fondly at the tiny light within the jar before he walks back into his house, with Ritsu still sound asleep, not yet knowing that his world had suddenly become considerably warmer.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to anyone who actually decided to read this through to the end! it ended up being so cheesy, but i still had fun trying it out regardless.
> 
> active at: https://twitter.com/kuuroken


End file.
